Nice — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /ˈnīs/

Meaning & Definition of Nice

Nice (adjective)

  1. polite, kind
  2. pleasing, agreeable
  3. appropriate, fitting

Nice (adverb)

  1. in a nice or pleasing way

Nice (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses

    "a cool glass of lemonade sure would be nice"

    similar: agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, savory, sweet, tasty, welcome
    related: alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, comforting, soothing, amusing, diverting, entertaining, recreative, affable, amiable, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, gemütlich, genial, goodly, good-natured, gracious, hospitable, kindly, personable, blissful, felicific, glad, happy, joyous, elating, exhilarating, intoxicating, ecstatic, euphoric, nirvanic, rapturous
    opposite: disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome
    near: abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched, bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky, abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious, boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale, tedious, displeasing, dissatisfying, depressing, disheartening, dismal, dreary, gloomy, heartbreaking, heartrending, joyless, lachrymose, sad, unhappy, deplorable, doleful, dolorous, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, regrettable, sorrowful, tragic, aggravating, annoying, exasperating, irritating, peeving, perturbing, vexing, forbidding, hostile, intimidating, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, maddening, outraging, rankling, riling, distressing, disturbing, upsetting

  2. following the established traditions of refined society and good taste

    "had nice manners"

    similar: befitting, correct, de rigueur, decent, decorous, genteel, polite, proper, respectable, seemly
    related: acceptable, adequate, satisfactory, tolerable, dress, dressy, formal, dignified, elegant, gracious, priggish, prim, stiff, stuffy, apt, material, relevant, compatible, congenial, harmonious, allowed, authorized, kosher, permitted
    opposite: improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, indelicate, unbecoming, ungenteel, unseemly
    near: intolerable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, casual, grungy, informal, seedy, shabby, tacky, banned, barred, disallowed, forbidden, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, awkward, gauche, ungraceful

  3. hard to please

    "she's far too nice about her clothes for me to even consider giving her clothing for her birthday"

    similar: choosy, dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussbudgety, fussy, old-maidish, particular, pernickety (chiefly British), persnickety, picky
    related: hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious, discerning, discriminating, selective, insightful, knowledgeable, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, queasy, squeamish, peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy, niminy-piminy, prim, prissy
    opposite: undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy
    near: affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, flexible, lax, loose, lenient, permissive, uncritical, indiscriminating, undiscriminating

  4. having an easygoing and pleasing manner especially in social situations

    "such a nice person to have as a party guest"

    similar: affable, agreeable, amiable, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, mellow, pleasant, sweet, well-disposed
    related: amicable, clever (dialect), cordial, friendly, neighborly, benign, gentle, kind, cheerful, cheery, glad (archaic), sunny, companionable, conversable, sociable, civil, considerate, courteous, polite, thoughtful, accommodating, amenable, obliging, attractive, delightful, enjoyable, likable
    opposite: disagreeable, ill-natured, ill-tempered, unamiable, ungenial, ungracious, unpleasant
    near: boorish, discourteous, ill-mannered, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, surly, uncivil, unkind, unmannerly, unsociable, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, choleric, churlish, crabby, cranky, dyspeptic, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, ill-humored, irascible, irritable, peevish, petulant, quick-tempered, snappish, testy, touchy, argumentative, contentious, contrary, ornery, querulous, unappealing, unattractive, sour, vinegary

  5. made or done with extreme care and accuracy

    "the noticeably nice folding of the dinner napkins told us that we were in the home of a domestic diva"

    similar: delicate, exact, fine, finespun, hairline, hairsplitting, minute, nuanced, refined, subtle
    related: nitpicking, quibbling, frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, negligible, petty, piddling, trifling, trivial, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussy, meticulous, particular, picky
    opposite: coarse, inexact, rough
    near: apparent, clear, clear-cut, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable, broad, indefinite, careless, heedless, incautious, slapdash, slipshod, sloppy

  6. conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue

    "in those days nice people would not have been caught dead in a gambling casino"

    similar: all right, decent, ethical, good, honest, honorable, just, moral, right, right-minded, righteous, straight, true, upright, virtuous
    related: correct, decorous, proper, seemly, high-minded, noble, principled, commendable, creditable, exemplary, legitimate, esteemed, law-abiding, menschy, reputable, respected, upstanding, worthy, blameless, clean, guiltless, immaculate, incorrupt, incorruptible, innocent, inoffensive, irreproachable, unobjectionable, angelic, lily-white, pure, scrupulous, spotless, uncorrupted, unerring, goody-goody, moralistic, pharisaical, rectitudinous, sanctimonious, self-righteous
    opposite: bad, dishonest, dishonorable, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, unethical, unrighteous, wicked, wrong
    near: improper, incorrect, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, perverted, reprobate, unprincipled, unscrupulous, atrocious, infamous, villainous, base, low, mean, vicious, vile, blameworthy, objectionable, offensive, iniquitous, nefarious, errant, erring, fallen

  7. marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details

    "a gentleman's club with a nice code of honor that no one can breach and still remain a member"

    similar: ceremonious, correct, decorous, formal, proper, punctilious, starchy, stiff, stiff-necked, stilted
    related: sober, solemn, stately, chivalrous, courtly, gallant, genteel, polished, refined, civil, courteous, polite, red-carpet
    opposite: casual, easygoing, informal, laid-back, unceremonious
    near: improper, indecorous, unmannerly, discourteous, impolite, rude

Related Entry: Nice-nelly (adjective)

Nice-nelly is a different word from Nice. The synonyms below are for nice-nelly, not for nice.

  1. given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals

    "the novel's wildly off base portrayal of 18th-century aristocrats as nice-nelly exemplars of decorum"

    similar: bluenosed, prim, prudish, puritanical, straitlaced, Victorian
    related: priggish, staid, stuffy, genteel, proper, refined, decent, honest, moral, right, righteous, upright, virtuous
    near: liberated, permissive, bad, immoral, improper, indecent, lax, lecherous, lickerish, loose, prurient, wicked, skanky (slang), slatternly, sleazy, sluttish, slutty, trampy, debauched, degenerate, degraded, depraved, perverted

Related Entry: Nice nelly (noun)

Nice nelly is a different word from Nice. The synonyms below are for nice nelly, not for nice.

  1. a person who is greatly concerned with seemly behavior and morality especially regarding sexual matters

    "some nice nelly bowdlerized this collection of wartime ditties that were lustily sung by the men around the campfire"

    similar: bluenose, moralist, Mrs. Grundy, prude, puritan, wowser (chiefly Australian)
    related: moralizer, goody-goody, Goody Two-shoes, fuddy-duddy, old maid, prig, spoilsport, stuffed shirt
    opposite: immoralist
    near: libertarian, libertine, misbehaver

Related Entry: Nice-nellyism (noun)

Nice-nellyism is a different word from Nice. The synonyms below are for nice-nellyism, not for nice.

  1. a tendency to care a great deal about seemly behavior and morals especially in sexual matters

    "a misguided nice-nellyism prompted the city-owned art museum to cancel its scheduled exhibit on the nude in photography"

    similar: moralism, prudery, prudishness, puritanism
    related: Comstockery, old-maidishness, priggery, priggishness, primness, morality, virtue
    near: lechery, prurience, pruriency, libertinage, libertinism, libertarianism

Related Entry: Nice nellies (noun)

Nice nellies is a different word from Nice. The synonyms below are for nice nellies, not for nice.

  1. a person who is greatly concerned with seemly behavior and morality especially regarding sexual matters

    "some nice nelly bowdlerized this collection of wartime ditties that were lustily sung by the men around the campfire"

    similar: bluenoses, moralists, Mrs. Grundys, prudes, puritans, wowsers (chiefly Australian)
    related: moralizers, goody-goodies, fuddy-duddies, old maids, prigs, spoilsports, stuffed shirts
    opposite: immoralists
    near: libertarians, libertines, misbehavers

Related Entry: Make (verb)

Make is a different word from Nice. The synonyms below are for make, not for nice.

  1. to bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials

    "will you help me make the dough for the cookies?"

    similar: fabricate, fashion, form, frame, manufacture, produce, put together
    related: assemble, build, construct, erect, make up, put up, raise, rear, set up, structure, throw up, craft, handcraft, hew, forge, mold, shape, cobble (together or up), knock out, patch (together), prefabricate, create, invent, mint, originate, establish, father, institute, organize, concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up), conceive, envisage, picture, visualize, refashion, remake, remanufacture
    near: disassemble, dismantle, take apart, break up, dismember, abolish, annihilate, demolish, destroy, devastate, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, flatten, pulverize, raze, ruin, shatter, smash, wreck, blow up, explode

  2. to obtain (as a goal) through effort

    "we finally made it!"

    similar: achieve, attain, bag, chalk up, clock (up) (chiefly British), gain, hit, log, notch (up), rack up, ring up, score, win
    related: acquire, capture, carry, draw, garner, get, land, obtain, procure, realize, secure, amount (to), approach, equal, match, measure up (to), meet, rival, tie, touch, beat, excel, outdo, surpass, top
    near: fall short (of), miss, fail (at), lose

  3. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "the cats made quite a disturbance when they knocked the Christmas tree over"

    similar: beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
    related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
    near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

  4. to carry through (as a process) to completion

    "one person from each department will be asked to make a short presentation at the meeting"

    similar: accomplish, achieve, bring off, carry off, carry out, commit, compass, do, execute, follow through (with), fulfill, negotiate, perform, perpetrate, prosecute, pull off, put through, go through
    related: bring about, effect, effectuate, implement, ace, nail, engage (in), practice, work (at), reduplicate, reenact, repeat, actualize, attain, realize, complete, end, finish, wind up
    near: fail, skimp, slight, slur

  5. to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

    "made him do all the work while everyone else just lounged around"

    similar: blackjack, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, force, impel, impress, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbag, twist one's arm
    related: browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate, blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten, drag, badger, harass, hound
    near: allow, let, permit, argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)

  6. to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement

    "I make that to be about six feet long"

    similar: calculate, call, conjecture, estimate, figure, gauge, guess, judge, place, put, reckon, suppose
    related: conclude, deduce, extrapolate, gather, infer, reason, understand
    near: calibrate, measure, scale, compute, work out

  7. to form by putting together parts or materials

    "make a model airplane"

    similar: assemble, build, confect, construct, erect, fabricate, make up, piece, put up, raise, rear, set up, put together
    related: carpenter, fashion, forge, frame, hammer, handcraft, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, prefabricate, begin, coin, create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize, conceive, concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up), reassemble, rebuild, reconstruct, redevelop, reedify (British), retrofit, jerry-build, rig (up), throw up, combine, unite
    opposite: demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, knock down, strike, take down, tear down
    near: demolish, destroy, devastate, flatten, level, pull down, pulverize, raze, ruin, ruinate, shatter, smash, wreck, blow up, explode, detach, disengage, disconnect, disjoin, disunite, divide, separate

  8. to give the impression of being

    "the family made merry despite their financial worries"

    similar: act, appear, come across (as), come off (as), feel, look, seem, sound
    related: dissemble, pretend, recall, resemble, suggest, hint, imply, insinuate

  9. to go on a specified course or in a certain direction

    "the baby made straight for the toy lying on the rug"

    similar: bear, head
    related: aim, bend, direct, point, turn, beeline, light out, put, put out, set off, set out, strike, take off, face, orient, steer, about-face, back, come about, come round, cut, incline, put about, reverse, swerve, tack, turn back, veer, wheel, yaw

  10. to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action

    "the legislature failed to make any new laws last session"

    similar: constitute, enact, lay down, legislate, ordain, pass
    related: reenact, repass, bring about, effect, allow, authorize, permit, sanction, decree, dictate, proclaim, administer, execute, approve, confirm, ratify
    opposite: repeal, rescind, revoke
    near: abolish, abrogate, annul, cancel, invalidate, kill, nullify, overturn, reverse, void

  11. to receive as return for effort

    "I make considerably more money now than I did when I first started working here"

    similar: acquire, attain, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, obtain, procure, pull down, realize, reap, secure, win
    related: clear, gross, net, accomplish, achieve, notch (up), score, accumulate, amass, rack up, catch, pick up, annex, occupy, take over, reacquire, reattain, recapture, regain, remake
    opposite: forfeit, lose
    near: accord, give, grant, pay, give up, hand over, part (with), relinquish, surrender, yield

  12. to have a clear idea of

    "what do you make of the latest information?"

    similar: appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand, pick up on
    related: absorb, digest, take in, realize, fathom, penetrate, pierce
    opposite: miss
    near: misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

  13. to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening

    "make the gate when ye leave"

    similar: close, shut, steek (chiefly Scottish)
    related: bar, batten (down), bolt, chain, fasten, latch, lock, plug, seal, stopper, secure, bang, clap, slam
    opposite: open
    near: unbar, unbolt, unchain, unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unseal

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Nice

The most common words with a similar meaning to Nice:

Chiefly British: pernickety
agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, savory, sweet, tasty, welcome, befitting, correct, de rigueur, decent, decorous, genteel, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, choosy, dainty

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Nice

Words with the opposite meaning of Nice:

disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome, improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, indelicate, unbecoming, ungenteel, unseemly, undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy, ill-natured, ill-tempered, unamiable, ungenial, ungracious, coarse, inexact, rough, bad, dishonest, dishonorable, evil, evil-minded

Related Words for Nice

alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, comforting, soothing, amusing, diverting, entertaining, recreative, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, gemütlich, goodly, hospitable, kindly, personable, blissful, felicific, glad, happy, joyous

Near Antonyms of Nice

abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched, bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky, abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious, boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale

Word Forms of Nice

Inflections: nicer, nicest

Derived words: nicely (adverb), niceness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Nice

Middle English, foolish, wanton, from Anglo-French, silly, simple, from Latin nescius ignorant, from nescire not to know nescience

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Nice

Words & Phrases Containing Nice

nice-nelly, nice and easy, nice and, nice going, nice idea, nice-looking

Frequently Asked Questions about Nice

What does "Nice" mean?

"Nice" means polite, kind. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: polite, kind. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Nice"?

Other words for "Nice" include agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful and delightsome. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Nice" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Nice"?

There are 250 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Nice". Common alternatives include agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy and dulcet.

What is the opposite of "Nice"?

Antonyms of "Nice" include disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome, improper, inappropriate and incorrect. Near antonyms include abominable, ghastly, god-awful and hellish.

How do you use "Nice" in a sentence?

Examples of "Nice" in a sentence: "a cool glass of lemonade sure would be nice"; "had nice manners"; "she's far too nice about her clothes for me to even consider giving her clothing for her birthday".

Is "Nice" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Nice" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Nice" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Nice" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Nice"?

"Nice" is pronounced /ˈnīs/.